Author: Tony Kuyper

In the video below, Sean Bagshaw reviews the new blur features in the Mask-the-Rapid-Mask option in the MODIFY section of the TK7 RapidMask module. This addition is a request I received from a users who wanted more control over this process. Mask-the-Rapid-Mask lets you localize the effect a luminosity mask has on an image while the mask is being created.

The Lasso tool is a common starting point for choosing the specific parts of the image where you want the luminosity mask adjustment applied. In order to avoid a hard edge to the selection (that might be visible in the image), the Mask-the-Rapid-Mask action now opens the Feather Selection dialog. The panel calculates a generous feather radius based on the size of the image, but users are given the chance to adjust this. Unfortunately, Photoshop doesn’t preview feathering, so you might want to experiment when you start using this feature to get a sense as to whether you prefer more or less feathering than is suggested. Clicking “OK” in the Feather Selection window completes the action and applies the selection as a mask to the Rapid Mask.

At other times, users already have a dedicated selection they want to use and would prefer no feathering at all. The action also accommodates this. Simply click the “Cancel” button in the Feather Selection dialog and the selection mask is applied with no additional feathering.

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Sean Bashaw has another great quick tip on one of the new features in the TK7 RapidMask module. “My Channels” allows any selection, layer mask, or alpha channel to become a Rapid Mask. Previously, the RapidMask module only supported masks created by the module itself. Now, “My Channels” allows user-created masks and selections to be quickly brought into the Rapid Mask process. Once incorporated, they can serve as the starting point for making Lights, Darks, Midtone, and Zone masks. These personal masks can also be modified using the module’s MODIFY section, and output using any of the buttons in the OUTPUT section. So if you want to make a luminosity mask, color mask, saturation/vibrance mask, or use your own mask or selection, the TK7 RapidMask module now handles all these different options with ease.

To start using “My Channels” simply click the Channel > My Channels option in the SOURCE section of the updated RapidMask module.

Your document is scanned for available masks and selections and the results are displayed in a new window that appears on the module.

Then just click a button to turn that item into the new Rapid Mask. From there, all the other features in the RapidMask module, including the mask calculator, can be used with it.

“My Channels” means that ANY mask or selection can now power the Rapid Mask engine. Or, to put it another way, every mask and selection is now a Rapid Mask waiting to happen. Some wonderful new masking options are available as a result. Sean provides a good overview of what’s possible in the video below.

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As I was adding infinity color masks to the TK7 panel, Sean Bagshaw was busy recording his Sean’s Favorite Photoshop Techniques, Volume 2 series. The download folder for that series contains lots of good color images, and I experimented with some to make sure the new infinity color masks offered something useful and unique for other people’s images, not just my own. They do, and I sent some quick edits to Sean to show him how I’d used the masks on his images.

Sean took these tests and incorporated them into the Quick Tip video below. And, not surprisingly, he’s gone well beyond my own attempts at using the masks and came up with some innovative ways to take infinity color masks to the next level.

This video is a little longer than the other Quick Tips, but it moves fast. Sean covers the basics of using infinity color masks and then demonstrates using them on six different images. Here are some things to pay close attention to as you watch the video:

Try to choose a color that actually has some decent color. Remember, these are color-based masks, and if you choose a weak color (low saturation), you’ll get a weak (dark) mask. When creating an infinity color mask, the Color Picker eyedropper extracts the hue value of the selected pixels to build the mask around. The saturation levels of that hue in the image then determines the brightness of the mask. This means that low-saturated colors will still be dark in the mask. So, as much as possible, click on colorful colors to make the best and brightest masks.

The initial mask preview is extremely accurate, but modification can sometimes create an even better mask. One of the great features with for infinity color masks is that you get to choose the color from the image and the mask is built around that selection. As such, the original mask preview is always on target, and in several of his examples, where this initial mask is essentially perfect, Sean just uses it as is to adjust the image. At other times, though, he first experiments with adjusting the color range or modifying the mask using the tools in the MODIFY section of the RapidMask module. MODIFY is especially helpful for darker masks where a less-saturated color was the target for generating the infinity color mask preview. The key to success in all cases is to start with a mask properly focused on a specific color selected from the image. And since this is the core process for generating an infinity color mask, the initial mask is always a great starting point. Once it’s available, there are lots of opportunities to customize the mask depending on what you’d like to do to your image.

Infinity color masks aren’t just for color adjustments. One of the things that really comes through in watching Sean work on these images is the variety of different techniques he employs. Infinity color masks are used to adjust color, saturation, brightness, and contrast. And he uses them with Curves, Levels, Hue/Saturation, Brightness/Contrast, and Solid Color adjustment layers to achieve the desired effect. This illustrates a good point, I think. To really get the most out of these infinity “color” masks it’s necessary to let go of the “color” concept and simply start seeing them as new precision masks for making targeted adjustments. Just like luminosity masks can be used to make adjustments other than brightness, infinity color masks aren’t restricted to adjusting color. When you start seeing these different types of pixel-based masks as a continuum of masking possibilities, the full power of what they can do really starts to take shape.

If you have Sean’s Favorite Photoshop Techniques, Volume 2 video series, you might want to go into the practice images folder and follow along with what he’s doing here. Working along with Sean will help you see where and how you might be able to apply infinity color masks to your own images.

Finally, just a quick reminder that everything on my website’s Panels & Videos page, including the TK7 panel with infinity color masks and Sean’s Favorite Photoshop Techniques, Volume 2, is 20% off through the month of September with the following discount code: Update20

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I’m happy to announce that the first update to the TK7 panel has just been released. If you already have TK7, check your email for a free download link. It was sent to the email address you used when purchasing. Be sure to check the spam/junk folder as in many cases it ends up there. Also, be sure to add the download server as a contact. That will insure you get these updates in your inbox. The download server’s address is: client@e-junkie.com

This is a really exciting update. It adds two new mask options to the RapidMask module: infinity color masks and “My Channels” masks. Infinity color masks are a huge step forward. They offer a novel way to generate masks based on ANY color found in the image. You’re no longer limited to Photoshop’s Color Range command (bad blending edges) or color sliders (R,G,B,C,M,Y) for making a color mask. You can now select a color directly from the image and the infinity color mask is constructed precisely around that selected hue. Pixel-based hue values are the foundation for these masks, and hue opens up an entirely new dimension for creating masks. It’s all 16-bit and it’s all pixel-based, so the blending through these new masks is awesome. Infinity color masks are essentially a Magic Wand tool for color. You’ll be amazed at what they can do.

The new “My Channels” option allows you to bring your own masks and selections into the Rapid Mask process. This means that user-generated masks can be easily combined with the module’s native luminosity, channel, color, and saturation masks to better target specific elements in the image. So the Rapid Mask engine can now be powered by ANY mask. There are no limits anymore. With “My Channels” every mask and selection is a Rapid Mask.

Infinity color masks and “My Channels” masks offer a significant expansion of the already considerable masking capability of the RapidMask module. There are also some minor updates in a couple of other RapidMask functions. The video below reviews everything in detail.

If you don’t have the TK7 panel yet, you can use the following discount code for 20% off the updated version and anything else on the Panels & Videos page through the end of September: Update20

Infinity color masks are the most significant new feature in this update and possibly best thing to happen to masking since I pioneered the now ubiquitous luminosity mask techniques in 2006. Luminosity masks are excellent if you’re trying to create selections based on pixel brightness, but not so good if your primary selection criterion is color. Completely different colors can have the same level of brightness, and luminosity masks can’t differentiate between them. Adobe’s Color Range command can be used as an alternative to select specific colors (and it’s the basis for the single-color selections in the RapidMask module), but the edges of Color Range selections aren’t very good. I frequently find it hard to get good blending using standard Color Range selections in many situations. That’s why I added the calculated Color Zones to the TK7 panel. Much better blending at the edges than Color Range masks, but they are still limited since there are just six Color Zone masks that can be calculated.

Infinity color masks completely eliminate both these shortcomings. They can be built around ANY color and the blending edges are excellent. In fact, you get to choose both the color AND the edge feathering as you create the mask. Infinity color masks add a whole new dimension to the masking experience because they indeed work in a completely different dimension in the 3-D color model compared to luminosity masks.

These new masks are dead-on accurate, have perfect blending edges, and are programmed with an amazing level of intuitive control so they are easily customized. They’re also true 16-bit masks (of course). No 8-bit selections are involved anywhere from creation through deployment. Infinity color masks are definitely better than luminosity masks when you need to make a color-based mask.

Once you install the update, to generate an infinity color mask, go to the SOURCE section of the TK7 RapidMask module and click the Color > Choose menu item.

This opens the Color Picker where you select a color from your image to build the mask around. The RapidMask module then calculates a starting mask and displays it on-screen while the new Infinity Color Mask control window opens on the RapidMask module.

While infinite control is possible with these new color masks, you’ll likely find the initial mask generated from the Color Picker selection to be quite good. It properly isolates the selected color and provides the correct feathering for most adjustments and selections. Once you’re satisfied with the mask, clicking “OK” outputs it as a Rapid Mask and then all features in the MASK, MODIFY and OUTPUT sections of the RapidMask module can be used to adjust and deploy it. Infinity color masks are amazing and quite possibly the next masking revolution. They will quickly find a place in any workflow.

“My Channels” is another new masking option and it’s found at the bottom of the SOURCE > Channel menu.

This feature was recommended by another user and I’m a little embarrassed I didn’t think of it sooner as it makes perfect sense for a full-featured masking panel like the TK7 RapidMask module. However, the coding for it is somewhat complicated, so waiting this long has likely resulted in a better overall implementation.

The layer mask of the active layer on the Layers panel (if it has a layer mask)

An active selection (if one exists)

It then lists all these options as individual buttons in a new window on the RapidMask module.

Clicking one of these buttons turns that “channel” into the new Rapid Mask. From there, all the buttons in the MASK, MODIFY, and OUTPUT sections of the RapidMask module can be used with it. “My Channels” makes it possible to bring any masks you’ve created and/or saved into the Rapid Mask process, and this includes using them with the mask calculator. So the RapidMask module now not only works with the masks it generates, it also works with any of the user’s own personal masks and selections. This greatly expands the possibilities for making highly custom masks that combine pixel-based masks from the module with detailed masks of specific elements the user has already created. The video above explains how “My Channels” masks work.

In addition to the new mask options in this TK7 update, there are also a couple smaller changes. One that improves workflow efficiency is the new “I/M” buttons.

These are simply single buttons that toggle between viewing the composite image and viewing the current mask. You don’t have to move your mouse between separate “Image” and “Mask” buttons anymore to do this. You can just keep your mouse in one place and click repeatedly to check your mask against the actual image. The new I/M buttons are available in the main Rapid Mask interface (above), in Layer Mask mode, and in the new infinity color mask control window.

The last update is the addition of a “Feather Selection” step in the Mask-the-Rapid-Mask MODIFY option.

The action now stops with a suggested feather pixel radius for the masking that will be applied with the user’s active selection.

This feather selection blurs the edges of the selection mask to help insure smooth blending. In the original version of the TK7 RapidMask module, this automatically occurred using a calculation based on the size of the image. Some users preferred a different amount of feathering or none at all. To accommodate the different possibilities, the action now stops and lists the calculated pixel radius for the feathering. The user can accept this, adjust it if they choose, or, if they want no feathering at all, click “Cancel,” in which case the action completes without adding any additional feathering to the user’s active selection.

I’m pleased that the TK7 panel is able to continue to evolve in a positive fashion. Infinity color masks are a big improvement, and “My Channels” offers a new level of masking control. And I’m happy to be able to provide these new features as a free update to customers who already have the TK7 panel. If you don’t have the TK7 panel yet, you can get a 20% discount on the updated version for the next couple of weeks with the following discount code: Update20

This code takes 20% off anything on the Panels & Videos page, so it’s a good time to shop for both panels and videos.

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Last week, Sean Bagshaw released his second video series of Photoshop techniques, and, no surprise, it’s really good.

There are three main areas covered in the new series:

Exposure blending

Fixing problems

Artistic enhancement

While exposure-blending is a favorite technique for lots of photographers, Sean demonstrates that luminosity masks aren’t the only approach. His focus is on creating the proper transition zone, and while luminosity masks can be used in this regard, he convincingly shows that it’s actually some of the areas outside those most revealed by the mask that really need attention. He uses selections, gradients, feather-painting, and Camera Raw adjustments in addition to luminosity masks to make the perfect transition zone, tailoring his approach to what works best for each image. Exposure-blending always takes a little extra effort. Sean is a master at this and his transition-zone approach offers some new ideas to make the process accessible, reliable, and results-oriented.

The art of making a fine photograph also requires attending lots of small details, and often this means fixing problems that happen either during image capture or as a result of image processing. In one of my favorite chapters, Sean reviews how even the initial Lightroom/Camera Raw adjustments can be detrimental to edges within the image and makes a case for avoiding heavy adjustments during RAW file conversion in favor of the more focused adjustments that can be accomplished in Photoshop. A perfect image almost always requires some level of clean-up, and Sean offers lots of great suggestions. The Frequency Separation chapter, in particular, is pure magic. If you’re not already using frequency separation for your images, you will be after watching this video.

About half the chapters in the series are still devoted to artistic affects, and rightly so, since this is where a photographer adds their personal touch to the image. Clarity, texture, haze, and glow are the major themes this time, but there is plenty of variation on these topics. I’ve been working with Sean for many years, and not surprisingly, the TK7 panel has several of his methods already programmed in to specific buttons and actions. While he demonstrates how to do everything from scratch, it’s also obvious that the panel provides a nice boost not only to the efficiency of using Photoshop, but also the speed at which creative ideas can be tested and modified. Even I learn new ways to use the panel from watching Sean.

As always, I’m pleased to be able to offer Sean’s Favorite Photoshop Techniques, Volume 2 on my Panels & Videos page, and right now there is an introductory 20% discount that automatically activates when you add it to the shopping cart. There’s also a matching discount on the Sean’s Favorite Photoshop Techniques, Volume 1 if you don’t have that yet. (NOTE: Previous customers should be sure to check their email from August 21 for additional savings.) Please contact me if you have any questions.

I’ve posted some sample videos on my website so you can get an idea of the content and quality of this series. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

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The TK7 panel isn’t just about luminosity masks. There are also several actions to enhance images during processing. One of my favorites is Make-It-Glow.

The Make-It-Glow action is like the Orton effect in some ways except that it produces no noticeable blur. The color is blurred a little to help create the glow effect, but the detail and texture in the image remains unchanged. In addition to the more diffuse color, saturation is also enhanced, like with the Orton effect, so it’s important to use Make-It-Glow on images that can handle a little extra color saturation. I often use it near the start of the Photoshop workflow. This is often a time when the image can use a little boost in color saturation. The effect generally looks quite good, so it can help set the tone for further development. Below is an image before Make-It-Glow was applied. Roll the mouse back and forth over the edge to see the difference running the Make-It-Glow action can have. NOTE: The image is not visible on the email feed, so please visit the blog to see this. Also, the rollover image might take a few seconds to load.

It’s not an overly dramatic change, but it works extremely well on this image to saturate the existing colors in way that looks natural. Photoshop’s Vibrance adjustment layer can have a similar affect on color saturation, but it tends to add saturation to cool colors more than warm colors, and this is the opposite of where glow usually looks best. Make-It-Glow has no color preference; it just works with whatever colors are present in the image. So compared to Vibrance, warm colors get a better saturation boost with Make-It-Glow. In addition, Make-It-Glow blurs the existing color a bit, and this provides a better sense of glow that a Vibrance adjustment layer can’t replicate.

Still, it’s important use Make-It-Glow in the right situations. Here are some that I’ve found useful:

Low-saturation images.

Intimate landscapes−those with land but no sky.

Autumn foliage.

Rocks, like sandstone and slot canyons.

Grand landscapes with lots of clouds, like stormy or overcast skies. NOTE: Clear skies sometimes get over-saturated with this technique.

The Make-It-Glow action is found in the “Color” section of the menu opened with the “TK►” button on the TK7 Combo and Cx modules. It has only one user input, and that’s a Gaussian Blur pixel radius. This blur radius determines the color diffusion for the effect. A radius that equals the megapixel count of the image is a good starting point, and this is what is calculated and suggested by the panel.

In addition to the blur radius, there are ways to customize the effect after the actions completes.

Run the action a second time to enhance the effect.

Adjust the layer opacity if it feels too strong. This is potentially useful if running multiple Make-It-Glow actions on the same image (which sometimes works quite nicely).

Add a layer mask to the Make-It-Glow layer to fine-tune the effect. The video below shows several methods to do this.

Of the various techniques that help improve the color in my images, Make-It-Glow is at the top of the list. It plays a role−sometimes a very large role−in determining where the image goes color-wise. It’s also a bit of a safety valve when I’m creatively stuck. Once I see what Make-It-Glow does, I can often find a way forward with the image.

Watch the video below for additional tips on using the Make-It-Glow action. View it full-screen in order to see the subtle changes from the action and the masks.

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You’ll never outgrow luminosity masks or the TK7 panel. There will be lots of new opportunities once you become comfortable with pixel-based masks. Even I don’t know it all. Occasionally someone writes me with a method for using the masks and the actions in the panel that would never have occurred to me. Something that was not intended at all when I coded the panel, but once I try it I’m like: Wow, how did I miss that!?

The technique that follows (and also explained in the video at the bottom) was one of these and is provided by my friend Daniel Anderson. He was an early adopter of luminosity masks. When I released the Triple Play actions sometime around 2008 or 2009, he wrote back almost immediately excited about what they did for his images and said that he used them on almost every single one. The Triple Play eventually found its way into the panel and I recently connected with Dan and ask him to explain in more detail how he uses this particular action. I decided to try what he suggested am now using it regularly using it too. When properly applied, it indeed makes every image look better. Tonal separation is enhanced in both the darkest darks and lightest lights and details in these tones stand out much better also. The effect allows images, even jpegs viewed on the web, to show wonderful texture in areas where detail is frequently lacking.

The Triple Play is accessed by clicking the “TK►” button in the TK7 Combo and Cx modules to open the Actions menu. The “Lights TP” affects the light tones and the “Darks TP” affects the dark tones. I generally use the Darks TP first since my images tend to have a lot of darker midtones in the final image. And sometimes I only use the “Darks TP” since the amount of lighter tones in my image may be extremely small, so the effect would be minimal. However, if there are obvious light tones in the image, you’ll definitely want to give “Lights TP” action a try.

The Triple Play uses luminosity masks (some of them blurred) and blend modes to achieve its effect. The first step is to choose a pixel radius for a Gaussian blur. A dialog window opens to ask for this.

I use 20 pixels for the Darks TP and 15 pixels for the Lights TP. Dan uses 20 pixels for both. You can experiment, but these numbers would be a good starting point.

The Triple Play action then creates a set of Curves adjustment layers set to Screen or Multiply blend mode that are masked with the Dark-series luminosity masks (some of which are blurred using the user-entered pixel radius). The adjustment layers aren’t meant for adjusting, though. The desired Triple Play effect is achieved simply by turning ON the visibility of different layers and letting the blend modes either lighten or darken the image. Initially, the visibility of all layers is turned off, so there is no effect on the image until the visibility of different layers is turned on.

For the Darks Triple Play, I turn visibility ON for:

the “(S) Darks-4, blurred” layer, which lightens the image because it is in Screen blend mode, and

the “(M) Darks-4, no blur” layer, which darkens the image because it is in Multiply blend mode.

This combination is known as an S-4/M-4 adjustment. Dan says he starts off with S-3/M-3, but that effect usually feels a bit strong for me in the image’s dark tones. NOTE: The lower the number, the stronger the effect. S-3/M-3 has a greater effect than S-4/M-4 because the Darks-3 masks reveal more pixels than the Darks-4 masks. Many times the S-4/M-4 combination of layer visibility works perfectly and I call it quits. Other times, I might try different layer combinations or adjust the group’s opacity. But I don’t do any actual Curves adjustments. I only turn different layers on and off to find what works. What I’m looking for is better detail separation and better contrast in the darkest tones in the image without too much clipping (though a little clipping might occur and generally looks OK for dark tones).

Whether or not I run a Lights TP depends on the image. For many of my images, the Darks TP is all I do, but if I have some strong white tones in elements that would look better with enhanced detail, I try a Lights TP too. Running a Lights TP is just like running a Darks TP. Choose a pixel radius (15-pixels is a good starting point), let the actions create all the layers, and then turn on the visibility of the ones that produce the best effect, i.e. increased tonal contrast in the very lightest tones without blowing out the brightest values. I usually start with S-3/M-3 since fewer light tones in my images usually means I need more revealing masks to see an effect. However, I’m also more likely to pull back the effect since clipped highlights tend to bother me more than clipped shadows. I’ve found a midtones mask on the “LIGHTS Triple Play” group a good way to insure my whites remain within range. Watch the video below for details.

Here are some important things to know and keep in mind about the Triple Play.

It should be LAST step in the workflow. The Triple Play is most strongly affecting pixels at the extreme ends of the tonal spectrum. When you stop and think about it, these are areas that are somewhat harder to adjust. Much of our workflow is focused on the midtones. Midtone adjustments can have a significant and positive effect on the image, so this is where we normally concentrate our efforts. The Triple Play is a chance to get into the darkest darks and lightest lights and make them look equally good. However, once you run these actions, it’s time to quit with the adjustments. Additional processing could run the risk of more noticeable clipping unless you’re really careful.

But there is a little flexibility. Dan applies his Triple Play actions after sharpening for print. I apply mine before. By including the Triple Play as the last step on my master file I get the benefit of seeing its effect in both my down-sized jpeg images for web presentation and in the final upsized sharpened prints. I find it scales pretty well, although I may pull back a bit on the amount of web-sharpening if the images look a little too sharp. However, the increased punch in both the light and dark tones is usually apparent when you compare jpegs with and without the Triple Play.

Zoom in to see what’s happening. Depending on how many light and dark tones are in the image, it may be difficult to see the effect the Triple Play has on a monitor-sized image. I generally zoom into at least 50% and maybe 66.7%. It’s much easier to evaluate what’s happening and decide which layers to turn on when you can see the details in the image better. I work to get the effect right at this magnification rather than relying on getting it right in a monitor-sized image. Also, be sure you’re viewing a dark part of the image if adjusting a Darks TP and a light part of the image when adjusting a Lights TP.

Choose your subjects. Some elements, like soft clouds, won’t necessarily look better with the Triple Play. Too much detail in the highlights of clouds can look unnatural. Harder subjects, like the European cathedrals in Dan’s images, would be the ideal subject to experiment with the Lights Triple Play, I think.

There is a lot going on in the background when the Triple Play actions run. For a large image or a slow computer, it might take a few seconds for the TP actions to complete. There are 11 layers, 10 masks (all 16-bit), and one group needed for each Triple Play action.

You don’t need to keep all the Triple Player layers. Once you find the layers you need to be visible to create the proper effect, click the lightning bolt button on the Combo/Cx module. It quickly deletes all the hidden (not visible) layers and makes your Layers panel feel normal again. You can also close the TP layer groups to make the final result more compact.

If you want to read about the Triple Play in detail, open the Settings window on either the Combo or Cx module and click the “TK” button. This will take you to a website where you can get a free download that includes a somewhat lengthy “Luminosity Mask Triple Play and Advanced Masking” PDF on how the layers and blurs are created.

Like Dan, I’m using the Triple Play as the last step on every image now. Even when I think I’ve done a good job processing, the Triple Play (especially the Darks Triple Play) makes the image noticeably better, for both the print and the jpeg, every time. There’s better separation in the dark areas of the image, and when you look at the print there is a surprising amount of detail in what would normally be very dark parts of image that lack it. I will definitely keep trying it on all my images in the future.

The video below is a quick review of applying Triple Play to some images. It’s best to view it full-screen since some of the effects are subtle. I really do like this technique and hope you’ll give it a try.